


The Case of a Heartless Cupid

by Indermiti



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: BAMF Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Badass Cupid, Cupid-centric, Fighting, I don't know what I'm doing, I just wanted another female character, It's friendship to start, Magic, The others are pretty badass too, There may be romance, Wings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-11-26 20:44:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20936483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indermiti/pseuds/Indermiti
Summary: Val hated her job. Sure, she got to see the joy and warmth her love brought up close and in person, but why couldn't she feel that for herself? Why couldn't she feel anything? Was it selfish? Definitely. But all she wanted was to experience emotions again, to have her heart beat for something again. The other spirits could, so it's the least she could ask for. Is it fair then that when the day comes where her first emotion finally appears, it's contempt?Side note: This is based mostly off the movie and not the books. Also, some parts of the story may unknowingly be tweaked. If that happens you're more than welcome to let me know.





	1. Prologue: A Flightless Bird

**Author's Note:**

> A few years ago, I drew a picture of what I thought Cupid would look like if there ever was such a character in Rise of The Guardians (Although it wasn't very good). I recently found that doodle again and decided that I wanted to write a story about her. It's a little crazy and kind of all in my head at the moment but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> P.S. - As I'm currently a college student updates will not come an a regular schedule. So for those who like it, please bear with me! Thank you!!!

** _Centuries Ago..._ **

How long had it been? Minutes? Hours? She couldn't stop running, not when there were hundreds if not thousands of his minions on her trail. If could hit herself for accepting that man's offer, she would. She was promised that the pain would leave and her tears would stop, she remembered that much at least. Instead of tossing her life away, he proposed that she took the place of the recently passed bringer of love. While that meant there would be no room for any love of her own, it applied to every emotion, including the one she had so desperately wanted gone. So she agreed. After waking up without any memories, she knew it worked.

She was finally free. 

Adorned in easy-to-move clothing she'd fashioned herself, she took up the duties of spreading the warmth of affection with a bow she'd stolen from a village near where she'd awoken. As for the arrows, she'd pluck a stand of hair from her scalp. As she'd pull back the bowstring, the strand would straighten, fitting nicely into the arrow rest. With her newly crafted identity, she outstretched the wings that had sprouted on her back and flew from village to village, finally arriving at a kingdom capital.

Where he had been waiting for her. She'd caught glimpses of his presence before: the beating wings of an insect, small figures looming in the shadows, watching her. At first she didn't think anything of it, that it was only innocent curiosity. Before long she was discovering messages carved into trees intended for her.WINGS WINGS WINGS

_ I AM HERE LITTLE ANGEL _

_ SEE YOU SOON MY LOVE ~ P _

Completely unnerved by them, yet unable to express it, she kept going. Until finally, she was forced to stop.

"Hello my darling," he cooed from below, within the darkness of an alleyway. She, standing on a tiled rooftop, glanced down.

"May I help you?" She asked dully.

"I was waiting for you," He purred

"Is that so?"

"Why didn't you respond to my letters?"

"I don't know you," She responded flatly. It was the truth, after all.

"Ah. A mistake on my part, it seems." He burst out from his shadowy lair in an extravagant manner. He was a young man, appearing similar in age to herself, but she knew looks were deceiving. His clothes were dirty and tattered, several leaves caught in the folds of his tunic. His wings were the most damaged of all. Torn, barely fluttering, and reminiscent of a dragonfly, his wings were just strong enough to hold him a few inches off the ground. Standing across from each other, one was the embodiment of purity while the other reflected the less beautiful things of the world.

"My name is Puck," the boy said, taking a bow. 

She nodded "Cupid."

"Well Cupid, my dove, I'm afraid you have something that I need." He pulled out a curved blade from behind is back.

She took a few steps back cautiously, the hairs on her back standing on end. "That being?'

A cruel grin crossed his face. "Those wings."

* * *

He got what he wanted... for the most part. When she turned to escape he slashed his dagger across her back, cutting them off. Despite her agony, she managed to grab two feathers as she fell from his grasp. With them in hand she managed to travel short distances through flight, touching down every so often from exhaustion.

She refused to give up. She was going to survive and there was nothing he or his minions could do to stop her. Finding herself on the edge of a ledge, she froze. Turning to face the disfigured beasts, she took one final stance, fitted an arrow into her bow and released, taking out the first line in a rosy flash.

Refusing to give them the satisfaction of the final blow, she gave them a cocky smirk - feigning the emotion of confidence - and plunged off the edge. She let her vision fade to black before slamming into the bottom of the canyon with a full thud, and the hollow snap of her shattered bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is short, I know. I just wanted to give a little backstory to my character. I may have to edit this at some point because I didn't include everything about the character and I don't want to make it confusing later on.


	2. Chapter One: A Flower in The Snow

_ Valentine’s Day; Present Day _

Jack decided that this year, Valentine’s Day would be the perfect day for a blizzard. He thought it was a great idea. Couples could stay in and have quality cuddle time, shouldn’t that winged baby be thanking him to taking a load off his shoulders? He’d never met him, having only seen artist renderings on cards and paintings, but he was sure he’d like the surprise. After all, who didn’t love surprises? Apart from Bunny, of course. 

He started his work before dawn, first laying a base coat of frost on the ground and roofs so the snow could stick. Then he made the second pass of the snowstorm itself. He whirled his staff in a circular motion, like stirring a cauldron of stew. With a flourish of motion, he let loose the cloud that had been germinating above, unleashing onto the unsuspecting people of the city below. The snow fell as delicate snowflakes at first, building up to giant clumps that stuck to the ground and wouldn’t dissipate. Soon, the roads began to vanish, along with the sidewalks, fire hydrants, before stopping halfway up the mailboxes. Gazing down at the result of his magic, Jack was more than pleased. He watched excitedly as the little humans slowly awoke from their slumbers. 

He could the delighted squeals of children. 

“Snow day!” 

“No school!” 

"Jack Frost is here!"

Media outlets all over were spreading the wondrous news. What could be better than a bit of fun on a day of love? 

He grinned to himself, feeling stronger than ever as the believers grew. “One step at a time,” he hummed.

Then something peculiar caught his eye. A young woman, whose head was covered by a maroon hoodie underneath her green denim jacket, was trudging along in the snow. Slung over her shoulder was a guitar case larger than her own torso. Why she was out so early, he had no idea, much less so considering the temperature. Jack continued to observe as she carried on, crossing streets without looking both ways (not that it mattered, there roads were unusable at that moment) and travelling down sidewalks, leaving behind melted footprints wherever she went.

She turned a corner, disappearing from view. With is curiosity getting the best of him, Jack descended into the city, not caring that he risked being spotted by children. 

He found himself staring into a small coffee shop. Warm lights gave the place a pleasant glow. There was a stage at one end of the shop, fully equipped with microphones, speakers and several aux cords.

The girl was there, unpacking her guitar while grumpily muttering to herself. Her hood was pulled back, revealing a head of soft pink hair, cut just below the ears. Jack decided to enter the store, careful not to ring the bell attached to the front door. He pulled himself a seat from the counter, settling in. The slight rustling of movement and the squeak of the chair caught her attention.

“Ah, Benny! Good, you’re back! You got a Dongle?” she asked, not looking up. She went on to tune a few strings on her instrument. “Claire bent my old one out of whack, remember? You said you’d get me a new one.” Jack held his breath, trying not to move. Without even trying, he’d already screwed up. Was she a believer? Her? An adult? 

Her brow creased in frustration, annoyed by the silence. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter too much since I doubt you’ll have many customers today. Seriously, what’s the big idea? Whoever thought it was a great idea to have a blizzard on the most important day of the year - to me at least - has got to be the biggest moron in the entire world. Am I right Ben? Ben?” She looked up, locking eyes with Jack. Instantly, her expression dulled.

“Oh, it’s  _ you _ ,” she said in a bored tone.

Jack gave a light wave. “Uh… Heh heh. Hi,”

Just then, a young man entered the room, dressed plainly in a black apron over a white t-shirt and slacks. “Hey, Val. Sorry, I was organizing the new shipment that came in last week. Might as well do it now considering the weather we’re having. Did you say something earlier?”

The girl, Val, turned away from Jack, pulled on a mask of ignorance and smiled. “No, sorry. You must be mistaken.”

Ben nodded. “Um, sure. Okay. Sorry that on your one day to perform you had to come out on a day like this. I’m going to have to close up shop because of all this darn snow.”

Val shrugged, sliding the guitar back into its case. “It’s not a problem, really.” She paused for a moment, biting her lip. “Claire’s still going to give me some of her special chocolates right? That’s really all I need for this day to end on a good note...” she narrowed her eyes towards Jack. “... For the most part.”

Ben grinned, placing the coffee cans in his arms down onto the countertop. “Of course. She actually made some last night. Macarons this time. The longer they sit the better the flavor, you know. I’ll grab them for you.” He ducked out of the room.

Jack’s mouth hung agape. “People can see you?”

Val rolled her eyes. “No, I’m a hallucination. What do  _ you _ think, you idiot?” She plopped down onto one of the sofas in front of the stage. “My responsibilities aren’t limited only to children, like you and the other guardians. Love goes to everyone.”

“Wait a second.” Jack said, holding up his hand in a stopping gesture. “You’re telling me that-”

“You’re looking at the one and only Cupid? Yes.” She steepled her fingers as she looked towards the ceiling.

“But I thought Cupid was supposed to be a baby.” Jack said.

“Try two thousand years ago.” She quipped. “Luckily for you, you have yet to meet the fate of what happens when people stop believing.” Val let out a dry laugh. “And if you thought that having  _ children  _ stop believing in you was bad, imagine what it’s like when the entire world thinks you don’t exist.”

Jack swallowed hard, shuddering at the thought. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

Val shrugged indifferently. “It’s fine. I don’t really care. It wasn’t me who was exterminated. I’m just the replacement.” She sat up, reaching over to grab a strap of her guitar case. Pulling it close, she hugged the case tightly, searching for nonexistent comfort.. “And there’s nothing better than the original, anyway. I’m just trying to survive, but  _ somebody _ seems to think that ruining one of my most important day of the year was a great idea.”

Jack winced. He scratched his frosted white hair awkwardly and tucked his hands into the pockets of his blue sweatshirt. “Sorry ‘bout that. But isn’t this a good thing? People can get all cuddly at home, and it’s one less place you have to go to ‘spread the love,’” he waggled his eyebrows at the end of his sentence.

She wasn’t impressed. “That’s why I have birds to do it for me. Like Toothiana’s tiny fairies except they can’t talk.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh’. And this place was the one place that I actually like doing what I do because I actually have friends. Granted, they don’t know I’m the real Cupid but if they did, I don’t think they’d mind that much at all.”

He listened silently, taking everything in. While talking about how she could die without the love of others, Cupid was surprisingly calm. It was as if she didn’t really care if she sentenced that fate or not. He couldn’t understand. Why didn’t like her destiny? Did she not know her center? He had that problem too, for a while. Then he met the others: North, Sandy Tooth and Bunny. Working with them to save the children allowed him to realize his true potential.

“Hey,” he said. He walked over to her, outstretching a hand for her to grab hold. “Do you want to… I don’t know… maybe get out of here and get some fresh air? I think it might be nice to talk and get to know each other a bit.”

She studied him for a moment, unconvinced. Taking his hand into hers, She pulled herself upright, slinging her guitar over her shoulder. “Why the heck not? I doubt this day could get any worse.” She walked over to the front counter, leaning on it slightly. “Just let me get my chocolates first, and then we can be on our way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... not much going on yet, sorry! This is just how they meet, there will be more action coming up soon! I promise. I think one of the most frustrating things I feel when writing is that it's all up here (here being my head) and I just can't put into words the way I want it to. Anyway, I hope you like it so far. Witty banter is one of my favorite things to write even though there's not much of it here. Stay tuned for the next update!
> 
> Thanks again! <3


	3. Chapter Two: A Ball of Fire and Ice

They walked silently down the sidewalk. Well, more like Val was walking and Jack just floated beside her, not touching the ground. She ate her macarons absentmindedly, appreciating the fact the roads around her were somehow plowed in the thirty minutes she was inside Ben’s coffee shop. It had been her go-to place for Valentine’s for the past couple years, having met the owners at a farmers market one September. After talking with them for a bit she agreed that she’d play only on the day of love itself, for a payment of a chocolate dessert. She loved chocolate, you see. The one thing she actually liked. Maybe it came with being cupid, with all the sweets that go around. But she didn’t care. As long as she could get her hands on one of Claire’s silky rich delicacies on a day that was on the same level as her birthday, it was more than enough for her.

“Is it hard?” Jack asked finally. Val stopped.

“Is what hard?”

“Well… You know, just…” he waved his arm randomly in the air. “People being able to see you in general.”

Val considered this for a moment. “I don’t go around screaming that I’m Cupid, so I guess that helps.” She kicked over a lump of snow. “I had to study people for a while before I could imitate them properly, though.”

Jack’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Imitate? Why would you need to imitate humans? We were all humans at some point.”

“I’m what you call a special case.” She pulled the corners of her lips into a smile using her hands. “It’s like wearing a mask. I can smile when it’s necessary to smile, and frown when it’s necessary to frown. Without it, I highly doubt I could get any work done. I mean really - who’s ever heard of a coldhearted Cupid?”

“So you’re never happy?” 

She shook her head.

“But you’re never sad either,” he muttered to himself. He couldn't believe it. The little skip in her step as she ate her treats, how she wrinkled her nose on every snowflake that fell on it, the small smiles directed towards laughing children. All of that was normal. She was normal, even more so considering there was nothing especially different about her compared to humans, save for the pale pink hair. And yet, she didn't seem to be lying at all. “But that’s so  _ boring _ , then! That means you’ve never had any fun in your entire life!”

Val scoffed. “So? You have a problem with that?”

“HECK YEAH I DO!!!” He dropped down onto the ground, grabbing Val by her shoulders, shaking her. “I’m the guardian of fun, for Pete's sake! If there’s one person who’d have a problem with that, of course it’d be me!” Taking her by the hand, Jack began leading her away. “We gotta get some fun into you. Stat.”

“I think not!” She snarled, snatching her hand away. Her hair started to turn a brighter shade, glowing softly. "Who are you to decide what I need? I will decide how to live my life, not you.”

“Can we do just one thing?”

“No.”

“ _ Please? _ ”

“I said no.”

Jack batted his eyelashes desperately. A hand out of her view began to swirl its fingers to generate a magic snowball. “C’mon. You’ll have fun, I promise.”

“Are you deaf? I already told you that I have no intere-” A lump of snow hit her square in the jaw.

Jack burst out laughing, crying hysterically and clutching the sides of his stomach while Val stood frozen. Disbelief crossed her face as she gently touched the side of her head.

“ _ How dare you, _ ” she growled.

The moment Jack looked up, wiping a tear from his eye, was the moment his amusement died.

Val was pissed. The frozen water had evaporated off her cheek into a cloud of steam. Her hair was brighter now, both in a glowing sense and its shade of pink. Her emerald eyes narrowed, her expression settling into a scowl. In every sense of the word, she was fuming.

“Oh. You’re actually upset, aren’t you?”

“ _ No, _ ” she gasped sarcastically. “Really? How can you tell?” 

“Uh, well… everything.”

“Good to see you’re observant.” She paused. Taking a hand to her face, she touched her forehead, then her cheeks, before resting on her temple.

Jack looked at her with concern. “You okay? I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have done that if it was going to make you sick.”

“No! No, it’s not that…” She waved him off dismissively. “My face is just feeling really warm all of a sudden.” It was true. She was starting to turn the same color of her hair. “This has never happened to me before. I have no idea what’s going on. Was there poison in that snowball?!”

Jack tried to lean in to get a closer look but she pushed him away. “Back off Frost, it gets worse when you’re near.”

He studied her, watching as her fists clenched and unclenched, her breathing quicken and the little twitches of caution she’d done when he tried to approach her. A sly smile crept onto his face. “I think you’re angry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll continue writing this in smaller pieces. Not because I want to, but it's more convenient for me with college classes I have going on. Being a full time student is hard, man. I'm kinda dumb to just add on to my already staggering workload, but I just really want to get this story I have out of my head and into words. I hope you like this next installment!
> 
> Thanks again! <3
> 
> P.S. - I already consider this series way more successful than my other work, "The Raven's Bureau" (which is posted on Wattpad should anyone be interested) because you guys I have read this! You have no idea how happy it makes this goober feel to know people actually read and may or may not like what I do. Thank you again, so so much.


	4. Chapter Three: When The Hidden Resurfaces

“I think you’re angry,” Jack grinned.

“You’re kidding,” Val deadpanned. Her arms were folded across her chest now, annoyance oozing from her stance. “I don’t feel anything. I-I’m not supposed to.” Her voice hitched slightly. As she tried to make sense of his explanation, confusion and panic started to take over any rational thought. She didn;t know what was happening. She didn’t know what to do or how to control it just that it hurt. There was a fire that crept along her face and burrowed itself into her heart, as empty and frozen as it was. 

So she did the only thing she could think of: punch Jack Frost himself right in the face. It was more of a move of denial than anything else. She just wanted him to shut up, unable to stand listening to the sound of his voice any longer. Such nonsense. She, angry? The one who tossed away everything to remove all senses that could leave her in pain? She didn’t think so.

Then again, what if it was true? What if the pain could only be relieved for so long, before reality has to come back and rip the rug from beneath her feet? She wouldn’t stand for it. If there was anything she knew, the life she had now exceeded what she had before. She refused to have to relive those experiences, not again. 

The twinge in her hand snapped Val back into focus. While lost in her own thoughts, she hadn’t realized that the fire had subsided significantly, as had the panic that settled in after. Jack was lying on the ground, shocked and bewildered by her actions. He massaged his nose delicately.

“Okay, ow!” he sputtered. “What the heck was that for?” Jack looked at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. His expression softened however, after seeing the dumbfounded look on her face. “Hey. Hey, it’s okay,” he sniffled, getting back up on his feet while wiping his nose. “We all have bad days sometimes. It’s normal.”

Val shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m. Not. Supposed. To. Feel. Anything. Nothing. Nada. Zip. I gave up those things when I took on this job.”

Jack quirked an eyebrow at her. “‘Gave up?’ What do you mean by 'gave up’?”

“Exactly what I said. I mean that I - ugh!” A sharp pain crashed inside her skull, causing her to collapse onto the ground in agony. 

High-pitched screeching filed her ears as her vision blurred. Jack concerned outline was in front of her, yelling muffled words of concern. “Hey… you.. Help?… oing on?… at’s… ppening?” As her eyes drifted shut, she could just barely make out Jack’s form, shifting from that of a boy with white hair and a blue sweatshirt to one with a brown cloak and matching hair.

* * *

At first, there was nothing but darkness. Val drifted in the warm shadows of oblivion until her feet touched down onto a mossy forest path. She wasn’t in the city, not anymore. As she walked along the half-covered trail, she found that her surroundings seemed familiar. However, they weren’t familiar enough. There was a clearing up ahead, opening up to a secluded oasis hugged by weeping willows. One of the trees was much larger compared to the others, and under it crouched a young woman, facing the small pond with her back towards Val. She decided to approach her, curiosity consuming all rational thought. 

Closing in on her, Val could her the woman sobbing. Messy tears ran down her cheeks as she unsuccessfully tried multiple times to wipe them away. Her long black hair fell three-quarters down her spine and over her shoulders, which covered parts of her face, making it difficult to define her facial features. All Val could tell was that she was lonely, and unbearably so. Val opened her mouth to speak only to discover that no words could come out at all. All she could do was stand and watch, wanting to say something despite being powerless to do so.

She turned away from her, having no desire to watch anymore. She hurried off back towards the woods. 

If she couldn’t do anything, what was the point of her being there? 

Nothing, she supposed. 

At the entrance to the forest path, Val turned to take one last look of the young woman. She shook her head, and disappeared into the brush. As she retraced her steps, Val pitied the woman that seemed so hurt. Yet, at the same time she felt somewhat grateful that she no longer had to deal with those feelings. With outstretched arms, Val embraced the oncoming darkness once more.

And then her eyes opened.

It wasn’t the forest; nor was it the city. Fuzzy balls of light hung above her, from what her hazy vision could tell. Slowly, the blurry outlines of her surroundings began to clear. The light above her were dim candles sitting up on support beams. About half the walls were made of ice with the other half being constructed of rusty brick and wooden planks. The majority of the room being filled with tables piled high with unfinished children’s toys. Val herself was lying on two of the wooden benches draped with a bearskin rug. Someone had made an attempt to make her more comfortable, using whatever they had. There wasn’t much else in the room other than a dying fire at the hearth and large windows behind the only desk, displaying the icy tundra that stood outside. 

It took effort to stand on her own two feet. Her head still throbbed with a dull ache in the back of her skull. Using a broom handle head found leaning against one of the tables, she steadied herself and hobbled towards the door. Behind it, several voices were clearly audible, and none were too happy.

“I still can’t believe you, Jack!” A gruff voice said, thick with a Russian accent. “What were you thinking, bringing her here? To my home?! There is work to be done! I have no time for babysitting!”

“Woah woah woah. Hold the phone,” Spoke another. Val could tell this one belonged to Jack. “First of all, you still have ten months, so chill out. And second of all… she passed out, North! On the ground! Boom! What was I supposed to do, just leave her there?”

“You could’ve. She’s not an ankle biter, mate. She would’ve survived.”

“Shut it you kangaroo.” Jack hissed.

“Oi! Watch the language, Snow Queen!”

“_ I am not a Snow Queen! _”

“You sure? Because you’re certainly acting like one!”

“Boys. BOYS!” shouted a woman’s voice, delicate yet commanding. “Calm down, all of you. Arguing like this isn’t going to solve anything.”

Propped against the broom handle, Val pushed the door open a crack. There wasn’t much she could see, but from where she was, Jack was in clear view. He squatting on top of another table, his hands resting on his staff and a scowl planted firmly on his face. From the looks of it, they’d been having this unproductive debate for a while, and his patience was starting to wear thin. A short man of golden sand hovered next to him, dozing in mid-air. The dusty image of sheep hopping over a fence floated above his head. Val guessed he either didn’t care about the conversation, or just had nothing to contribute.

“Someone should check on her,” the woman continued. “I’d volunteer, but I might look more at her teeth than anything else.”

Jack heaved a sigh. “I’ll do it then. I brought her here, so it she’s my responsibility.” He hopped down from his perch, heading towards the door. 

Val decided that there was no point in hiding anymore. “I’ll have you know that I’m no one’s responsibility but my own,” she said loudly. With enough force, Val managed to nudge the heavy wooden door open.

Jack stumbled back in surprise. When he noticed the wooden pole supporting her, he recovered from his shock and went to help her. “You’re awake!” He gasped. “How long have you been-”

“Long enough,” she said.

Jack nodded. He led her over to the table to sit down, as there weren’t any chairs nearby. Once properly settled, Val skimmed over their bewildered expressions with a nonchalance that would make even the stiffest fashion model falter. Pushing aside the dull throbbing, she crossed one leg over the other and flashed a cocky smirk.

“So…” she began, her voice dripping with confidence. “How may I help you?”

The anthropomorphic grey rabbit tossed his paws into the air. “Great. Not another Jack Frost.”

Jack’s mouth hung agape. “She’s not- I mean- She’s faking it,” he blurted out. He shot Val a look. “Knock it off, Val. You’re giving them ideas.”

Val rolled her eyes. She uncrossed her legs and folded her arms, her expression falling. “Buzzkill,” she muttered.

“Hey!” Jack scolded.

“What do you want me to do? I’m bored,” she said dryly.

“Can’t you at least try to be grateful? North saved you. Well… I did for the most part, but he provided the bed for you to rest in.”

“I was sleeping on two benches,” she corrected.

Jack was appalled. He turned to the buff old man. “You said you had a bed!”

North shrugged. “Phil was sleeping.”

“You could have kicked him out!”

“Your girlfriend does not have higher priority over the yetis!” he exclaimed, horrified.

“I’m not his girlfriend.” Val objected. “I have no interest in associating with that idiot.”

Bunny grinned. “I changed my mind. I like her.”

“I’m sorry for the mess we’ve put you in.” The woman adorned in blue and green weathers with insect wings tenderly took her by the hand. Val cringed slightly, quickly tugging her hand away as past memories of wings came rushing back. She knew that this wasn’t the same, she couldn’t sense any sort of potential threat coming from her. She still couldn’t help but be cautious. Val had no interest in dealing with fairies ever again.

The woman paused for a moment, taking note of her change of composure, and brushed it off, giving her a sweet and forgiving smile. “My name is Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy,” she pointed out the others. “I see you already know Jack. The other man with white hair is North, also known as Santa Claus by the children. Over there is Bunny, who I assume you can figure out is the Easter Bunny.” They each waved when their names were called, stopping in the middle of their petty quarrel. “And last but not least is Sandy over there” North gave the sandman a nudge, awakening him from his slumber. Upon noticing Val, he created a small bowler’s hat and tipped it politely. 

Val curtseyed in return. “I know who you are. All of you actually,” she looked at Tooth and mirrored her smile. “There wasn’t really any need for you to introduce yourselves.”

“O-oh,” Tooth stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“Well that puts us at a bit of a disadvantage then, doesn’t it?” Bunny said. “It isn’t fair that you know who we are when we don’t know you.”

“Ouch, that hurt.” Val placed her hand on her heart in mock pain. “The Guardians - the ones who are believed by the children - don’t know who I am? The one who’s believed by all? Come now, surely you’ve heard of me?”

Bunny shook his head, Tooth looked away, North scratched his beard and a golden question mark appeared over Sandy’s head. “‘'Fraid not, mate.”

Val sighed. “With hair as pink as mine, do I really not look like Cupid to you?”

Tooth let out an unladylike squeal. “Ooh it’s been so long since I’ve last had girl talk with another well… Girl! Sandy has always been there for me but as you can see, he’s more of a strong listener. Let me see your teeth. You don’t mind do you?” Without being given a chance to respond, the personal space that was Val’s mouth was immediately invaded. “They’re lovely! But hmm…” Tooth studied her teeth closely. “I notice that there’s some traces of chocolate here and there. You should stay away from sweets, you know. They’ll rot that wonderful specimen of yours.”

Val barely managed to pry Tooth off of her. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, visibly disturbed.

“Now hold on just a minute,” Bunny interrupted. “I thought Cupid was a winged baby with a bow and arrows.”

Val frowned. “That was the last Cupid. And he wasn’t a baby, his subordinates were. Cherubs. I’m his replacement.”  
The room fell deathly silent “What happened to the first?” Tooth dared to ask.

Val shrugged her shoulders. “Dunno. Ran out of love, I suppose.”

“What about you, though? You got wings, a bow, the arrows?” Bunny pressed.

Val counted off on her fingers. “Wings? No. Bow? Broke it. Arrows? Not available at the moment.”

“You can still spread love, can’t you?”

“She had a guitar,” Jack chimed in. “I had to leave it behind when I brought her here.”

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Val shouted. Her hair started to glow again. With panicked speed, she hopped down from the table and began to wander around, searching desperately for an exit.

“What are you doing?” North asked.

“I have to go. I have to go back. There’s something I need.”

“If it’s the guitar you can ask North to make you a new one,” Jack suggested.

“No it’s not the guitar, you moron! The thing I need is in the case holding the guitar. I need to get it before someone else does.”

“Before someone does? What do you need that so important?” Jack called out to her.

Val froze in front of the exit, having finally found it. “My only feathers,” she said quietly. Then she thrust open the gates and ventured out into the frozen plateau, leaving behind the others feeling absolutely confused as to what she just said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohooo! Finally something with a decent length (In my mind at least)! I would like to thank the Columbus Day weekend for giving me enough time to write most of this out and to you guys for choosing to read this! Finally things are starting to go somewhere and I'm super excited for the upcoming updates (prepare for some action)! I would also love to hear what you guys think so far!
> 
> Stay tuned and thanks again! <3


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